Safe Travels
by Usagi Selene
Summary: Sasuke visits Hinata shortly after the events of The Last, and one seemingly selfless decision changes the course of both their lives. Obviously non canon compliant. Pretty much just smut with a side helping of angst
1. Chapter 1

A/N: amazing what one nasty anon will inspire you to write, isn't it? This one will very likely be a multi chaptered fic, just give me some time to decide how that's going to look. Please be patient, I'll try to update frequently, but I get writer's block easily. Enjoy!

Safe Travels

Three nights after their return from the moon, Hinata walked into her bedroom to find a half naked Sasuke sitting on her bed. He looked up from staring at his hand when she walked in, long hair for once pushed away from his mismatched eyes and a strange, painful emotion simmered just below the surface of those intense eyes. Hinata slowly released the breath that had caught in her throat at the sight of him and quietly shut and locked the door behind her, fluidly performing a silencing jutsu as she loosened her grip on the towel covering her body, still warm and slightly damp from the baths, and padded, nude, toward her long time lover.

He stood when she approached him, and she took the time to sweep her eyes over him, admiring the way the moonlight filtering through her sheer curtains set his pale skin aglow. He gently stroked the fingers of his remaining hand across her cheeks, down her throat and collarbone until he was cupping a full breast in his hand, thumb sweeping across one dusky nipple. Hinata tilted her head up to smile sweetly at him, and he bent his head down to capture her smiling lips.

She sighed into the kiss, melting into his hard body and looping her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as he could get.

"I never got the chance to thank you for saving my father," she breathed against his lips when they momentarily broke their kiss, "how did you know I needed you?" Her question made heat fill his cheeks, and he tilted her head to kiss her neck so that she could not see him blushing. She always made him feel so soft, not weak exactly, perhaps safe enough to relinquish his hard won control into her capable hands. Over the years, he'd considered giving himself to her one of his only sane decisions as a teenager. She would never hurt him, and with that though in mind, he was able to ignore the embarrassed heat in his cheeks to answer her honestly.

"I sensed your pain and came as quickly as I could." He said as he placed hot, open mouthed kisses along her shoulders and collarbone. She hummed in acceptance of his answer and pleasure at his caresses, and trailed her hands down his toned back and around to his front, deft fingers undoing the ties she found there until the fabric pooled around muscled legs.

"Allow me to thank you then, Sasuke," she said as she led him from the circle of his clothes and lightly pushed him back to his sitting position on the edge of her bed. He watched her, eyes dark and burning in the silvery moonlight, as he settled his back against the wall and obediently raised his arm above his head so she could secure it to a hook protruding from a knicknack shelf with a purple silken scarf.

She surveyed him, the glittering eyes and parted mouth still wet from their kisses, the smooth pale skin, the flexing bicep in his amputated arm kept by his side, the taut stomach, and the already hard cock nestled between two muscled thighs. She licked her lips, suddenly immensely hungry to have a taste of him, to sample his hidden softness on her tongue and savor the flavor of it always. She dropped to her knees and crawled between his legs, watching intently as his eyes widened slightly as he watched her. Nuzzling his right calf as she slowly rose to her knees between his spread legs, her hands following behind her closely, smoothing up slowly and really taking the time to feel each tensing muscle, she dropped featherlight kisses across his thighs and the indents of his hips. She delighted in the way his muscles would jump beneath her questing mouth, the hard flesh at his center twitching eagerly every time she bypassed it to pay attention to some other area.

"Hinata," Sasuke finally growled impatiently when the silky fall of her hair brushed the sensitive head of his cock for what felt like the millionth time, "Hinata, please ah!" Whatever he was going to say was cut off when she finally took him into her warm, wet mouth, engulfing most of his long thick length in one swallow, wrapping her hand around what she couldn't fit and beginning a torturous game of sucking and licking and squeezing that turned the infamously stoic young man into a moaning, whimpering mess before her.

"Oh shit, oh shit, _oh shit,"_ she could hear him groaning, and she flicked her eyes up to see his fave mostly pressed against his raised arm, an attractive blush spread across his cheeks, neck, and upper chest and rinnegan eye watching her so intently she thought she might burst into flames from the heat contained there. With her free hand, she discreetly felt around beneath her bed until she located a small jar of lube. Taking him deeper in her mouth, she twisted the jar open and coated a couple fingers liberally in the substance before bringing a the hand between his trembling legs and gently stroking his asshole. She watched as his breath hitched suddenly and his teeth sink into his lush bottom lip while his blush deepened as she continued to suck him off and stroke the tight ring of muscle of his back entrance. Finally he gave one quick nod of his head, mouth dropping open on a guttural groan as she deep throated him, a dainty, slick finger easing into his ass as she did.

If anyone had told her when she was a young teenager that sex with Sasuke Uchiha would become a normal and greatly appreciated aspect of her life in just a few short years, she would have blushed a brick red and denied such a possibility. Yet, here she was, having to hold down his undulating hips with one hand, her other hand relentlessly working two fingers into his ass and searching for that spot inside him that would turn him into an even bigger mess than he already was, and mouth crammed full of his hard, throbbing dick.

There! She found his prostrate, stroked it as she bobbed her head around his dick, and was rewarded by a cry that sounded much closer to a wail as it was torn from his taut throat and thick spurts of cum that shot directly down her throat.

She gently removed her fingers from his ass once he'd finished climaxing and relaxed and dropped a kiss on the head of his softening penis once she'd released it from her mouth. He wiped his sweaty face on his bound arm and gestured with his amputated arm, watching as she slowly rose from her kneeling position to reach up and release his hand. Once she did, he pulled her to him, twisting so that her nude body was beneath his, and he was slithering down and draping her upper thighs on his shoulders before she could open her mouth to tell him he didn't need to do that.

He took a moment to gather himself, his mind still reeling from the force of his orgasm. He'd been with others before, men and women, he wasn't picky when the mood struck him or he needed something they had, but none had the effect on him that she did. She broke him down to his core, exposed the vulnerable, needy heart of him, and nourished it tenderly. He loved her with a desperate selflessness that scared him when he gave it too much thought, and it was that love that told him he would have to let her go soon, that this would most likely be the last time she would permit him space between her legs because while he knew she loved him, she'd told him so many times, she had loved Naruto for far longer, and now that the blond idiot finally _finally_ understood the precious gift that was before him, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to deprive Hinata of the chance at happiness that she so completely deserved.

With that aching thought driving him, Sasuke suckled her clit, swirling his tongue over it again and again until he was hard again and she was softly crying his name with every swipe of his tongue. He surged over her, bracing himself on his stub, the reminder of the consequences of losing himself to hatred, so that he could lace their fingers together as he slowly pressed into her. She sighed dreamily and pulled him closer, her hands cupping his ass, not to guide his strokes but simply to hold him and feel the flexing muscles of his ass as he rocked into her.

"Oh, Sasuke," she moaned when she finally came, his name an aching, tender prayer on her lips so fervent that he couldn't halt the wave of emotion that overwhelmed him nor the words that spilled from his throat.

"I love you, I love you, don't leave me, I love you," he groaned helplessly, pressing his spasming cock as deeply into her as he could, shuddering as his cum filled her in wave after wave.

He pressed their foreheads together, regretting that selfish part of him that begged her to stay even when he had resolved himself to letting her go. He wasn't good for her; he knew that. Naruto would be so much better for her, and, Izuna's eyes, _he knew that,_ but he still couldn't bite back those words. He had always been completely honest with her, and it was a habit he couldn't break even when it hurt so badly to do so.

She cupped his face, kissed his nose, his cheeks, his jaw, and throat, showering him in one last bath of undivided love. He soaked it in, irritated by the ridiculous tears that burned his mismatched eyes, but she took those with a tremulous, grateful smile.

"Thank you, Sasuke," she whispered, kissing his lips one last time, and he withdrew from her, his heart still in her hands, his soul hers to do with as she wished even as he conjured up a smirk and let his hair once more fall in front of his purple eye.

"If I don't see you before you marry him...congratulations," he said lowly after he had dressed and was crouched halfway out her bedroom window. He looked back one last time, Sharingan activating for the briefest moment to burn the image of her like that in his mind forever.

Safe travels," her whispered words followed him as he once again melted into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Oh my gosh! I didn't think I owuld update it this quickly but! here I am with another chapter. I have an idea of where I'm going with this, but I don't like to set things in stone. I like to let the characters tell me where to go, so that's what I'm doing. anyway, enjoy!

6 months later

Sasuke was somewhere deep in the Land of Wind when a messenger bird from Konoha landed on his shoulder. Frowning, he took the proffered scroll and watched as the bird leapt back into the cloudless sky, lazily arcing up and east toward the Leaf. He turned his gaze toward the scroll in his hand, noting that it was slightly different from the ones he usually received , before giving a small shrug of his shoulders and opening it. He had just enough time to recognize the formula for a summoning jutsu before a loud pop sounded and a very angry shadow clone of Naruto appeared before him.

"Wha-" was all he was able to get out before the clone grabbed him by the collar and they were both snatched up by a reverse summoning jutsu. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself, still tightly gripped by the clone, standing in the Hokage's office. Kakashi was sitting behind the cluttered desk, beetle black eyes staring at him with an unreadable emotion. Sakura was leaning against the same desk, her emerald eyes swimming with tears and her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Sasuke swept his eyes left and spotted the original Naruto by the far edge of the windows, his sharp features in profile and head tilted away as if he was forcing himself to look out on the village and not the scene in the room. A figure seemed to huddle in the shadow Naruto cast, but, as though sensing his attention, hesitantly stepped into the fading afternoon light. Sasuke's breath hitched and his heart stopped.

It was Hinata, and she was pregnant. A sharp spike of jealousy pierced him, and the possessiveness that surged through his blood at the thought of Naruto touching her, kissing her, being _inside_ her left him breathless. It was pathetic, he thought angrily, that he still wanted her, needed her, so badly when she had obviously had no trouble letting go of him.

Sasuke shoved the clone away from him with a sneer, favoring the people around him with the same look and adjusting his now rumpled clothes. Forcing himself to look anywhere but at Hinata, he cut his eyes at Kakashi instead.

"Why am I here, exactly?" He asked the silver haired man. Kakashi sighed dramatically and leaned back in his chair, indulging in a cat like stretch as he did so. Sakura huffed quietly with impatience.

"You'll have to ask Naruto that question, Sasuke. I know a little less about it than you do, apparently." He said with an exaggerated lift of his eyebrows. Sasuke scowled and scoffed.

"I don't even know what's going on, Kakashi, so how can you know less about it than I do when I don't even know what it _is_?" He snapped. Kakashi shrugged carelessly, and Sasuke bit back a growl. He had nearly forgotten how annoying his old sensei could be, and the reminder was not exactly welcome.

"Well, Naruto?" The blond's already tense shoulders seemed to become even stiffer for the slightest moment before he turned to face the room. Unlike his clone, who was blatantly angry, Naruto looked as though sadness and anger were fighting a battle for control of his normally smiling features. When he glanced at Hinata, sadness seemed to take the forefront, but when his eyes settled on Sasuke, anger had taken quiet control. The two rivals simply stated at each other in utter silence for what seemed like a small eternity before Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head, a bitter chuckle escaping him. Sasuke's frown deepened.

"You were never going to tell me, were you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, the question more like a statement. Four pairs of eyes were focused on Naruto, two in complete confusion and two in dawning comprehension. Sasuke was rooted to the spot, a terrifying realization forming a knot in his throat that grew with every agonizing second. His eyes flickered to Hinata, took in her swelling belly, and mentally calculated how far along she was. _It couldn't be..._

"Tell you what?" He asked, barely flinching when the shadow clone suddenly grabbed him again and slammed him into the wall, too busy trying to convince himself that there was no possible way Naruto could know about Hinata and him, no possible way the child inside her could be his, but even as he thought that, his mind summoned images of their last time together and of him coming deep inside her, and he knew deep in his bones what it was Naruto brought him home for.

" _Why didn't you tell me you were fucking Hinata?"_ The clone snarled, whisker marks growing jagged and eyes glowing red. His eyes widened, and he could hear Sakura gasp loudly. Sasuke felt his Sharingan activate, but he made no other motion, choosing instead to keep his eyes on the original Naruto, who was watching silently, and Hinata, who was staring at the scene before her with wide worried eyes.

"What makes you think I've slept with her?" The question was barely out of his mouth before he was being lifted up and slammed against the wall again. The force of impact had him gritting his teeth, and spidery cracks spread along the wall behind him.

"Because that's your baby inside her, you bastard," Naruto answered bitterly, and Sasuke felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.

"What?" He knew his voice came out breathy and hesitant, but he couldn't help that now. It was one thing to suspect her child belonged to him but quite another to hear the words spit out like kunai in his direction, every syllable confirmation that, once again, he'd hurt someone precious to him with his actions.

Hinata caught his gaze, a small, reassuring smile that was just for him briefly touching her lips, and the knot in his throat grew and grew until he thought his neck would explode from the pressure of it. Even now, with everything imploding around her, she sought to comfort him.

"Wait, wait just a minute, Naruto! You can't accuse Sasuke and Hinata of sleeping together just like that. I mean...when would they have had the time?" For once, Sasuke was grateful for his pink haired friend's inability to believe half of what came out of Naruto's mouth. She was standing there, green eyes darting between the three of them, the clone having been dispelled by Naruto when she started speaking, hands clenched and shaking faintly at her sides. None of them said anything, so she forged on.

"I mean - I...Hinata has never made her feelings for you a secret, so why would she have sex with someone the exact opposite of you?" Sakura reasoned, unaware that she was directly saying something Sasuke had tormented himself with for years. He kept his eyes trained on Hinata and rested his aching body against the wall. That last slam had really had some force behind it.

"Hinata and I haven't been intimate yet," Naruto confessed, an embarrassed flush coloring his whiskered cheeks, "so when she told me she was pregnant, I thought maybe someone had, you know, forced her," Naruto glanced down at the woman next to him, an aching anger lingering in his cerulean eyes. He swallowed hard.

"So, I went into sage mode when she was sleeping to see if I could figure out the chakra of the baby's parents, and that's when I found Sasuke's chakra in the baby along with Hinata's. That's how I know it's his baby," Naruto finished lamely, glaring down at his feet.

"Is it true, Sasuke? Are you the father of Hinata's child?" Sakura asked, and Sasuke found himself closing his eyes against the emotion he heard in her voice. As always, it seemed he was destined to hurt her.

He looked to Hinata for guidance, hoping she would see the veiled desperation in his dark eyes and let him know one way or the other what she wanted him to do. Did she want him in her life? Would she want to raise their child together, or was she hoping to continue on with Naruto? Sasuke was sure the blond still loved her and wanted to be with her; she could still have that happiness if she would just _tell him what to do_. But all he saw in her eyes was trust. She was trusting him to decide, and he was scared that he wasn't strong enough to make the right choice.

"Sakura...it - it's true. I got Hinata pregnant," he heard himself saying, but he was too busy noting Hinata's reaction to care about what the rest of his former team was doing. Did he make the right choice? Would she hate him for claiming his child?

Her face was utterly unreadable after his confession, her only tell the slight widening of her eyes, as though she had expected a completely different response from him, but then she was casting her eyes down and folding her hands in front of her demurely, and Sasuke's attention was suddenly on Naruto who had taken several long strides and was now less than an inch away from him, glaring at him with tears in his blue eyes. This close, Sasuke could see the individual situations in his friend's eyes.

Blue and blood red eyes caught and held, glaring intensely for long moments.

"If you mess this up, if you even think about hurting her the way you have Sakura, I'll kill you," Naruto growled, eyes flashing red and chakra spiking dangerously before he flashed out of the room, leaving a deafening silence behind him. Sasuke let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and tried to calm his pounding heart. For a moment, for the briefest second, he was sure Naruto was going to tear him apart in his rage, and Sasuke knew he didn't have it in him to fight back. There were many times he had deserved to die, and that was just another in what he was sure would be a very long list.

"Hinata, why don't you take Sasuke back to your apartment? I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about. I'll give you two a few days alone before we start making any decisions," Kakashi said, shooting Sakura a look that plainly told her to be quiet as he stood and ushered the two dark haired ninja out of his office. The door shut behind them with a quiet click, and Sasuke coukd hear Sakura's distraught voice arguing with Kakashi's calmer one. He sighed, exhausted beyond belief.

"You don't live at the Hyuuga compound anymore," he asked as he followed Hinata out onto the busy streets. He absently admired the way the setting sun glimmered I'm her swaying midnight hair as she walked in front of him and ignored the startled looks the two of them garnered from passing shinobi.

"I - I left the compound a few months ago," she answered softly, and he knew that meant she had been kicked out. She was without her clan because of him. He opened his mouth, intending to say something, anything, to make her feel better, but she was suddenly turning down a quiet street and leading him to a modest apartment complex, and before he knew it, they were walking into the home she had made for herself.

The door shut and locked with quiet finality, and for the first time in six months it was just him and her.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I hope you guys enjoy, this was a hard chapter to translate from imagination to written word. Please forgive any spelling mistakes, I mostly write these chapters on my phone.

Safe Travels

Hinata's hands trembled as she slid the lock into place. She took a breath to calm her racing heart and faced the man who had been her lover these last years. Sasuke stood a small distance from her, an unreadable expression on his face. He looked good, she suddenly thought. Traveling had been kind to him, and while there was still a heavy burden creating the lines of his forehead, it seemed to have lightened some. The tension between them was palpable, and her heart thudded painfully in her chest. He must be so angry with her, she thought. For getting pregnant, for waiting so long to tell him, appearing for all the world as if she had chosen Naruto even while his child grew within her. She opened her mouth to explain, to apologise, but he beat her to it.

"I - I'm sorry, Hinata," he said lowly, shocking the young woman completely. Why was he saying that? What did he have to be sorry for?

"Sasuke?" He brushed his bangs back so that she could see both his eyes, something he only did when he wanted to lay himself bare before her. That he counted her still worthy of the privilege astounded Hinata.

"I...I was selfish the last time I saw you. I shouldn't have -"

"No, I was selfish," Hinata said, neatly cutting him off, indignation on his behalf making her bold. She took a step forward, aching to touch him but not daring to give herself permission.

"I - I knew how you felt about me, knew you needed me in a way Naruto didn't, and I still couldn't let him go." She looked away, her pearlescent eyes filling with self anger and shame, before swallowing heavily and continuing in a much smaller voice, a delicate hand held in a tight fist at her chest.

"I'd wanted him for so long, longed for the acceptance and return of my feelings so desperately, that I was blind to how I felt about you. I didn't want to admit that you had become everything to me. I tried to tell myself that the love I felt for you was no different than the love I felt for Neji or my teammates, but the lie always tasted sour on my tongue. So I should be the one to apologize," she said, sinking to her knees before him and pressing her forehead to the polished floor, "for hurting you so deeply when I always told myself I wouldn't. I'm so sorry, Sasuke," she said, her voice a wobbly, tearful whisper when she finished. There was silence, the only sound the rushing of her blood in her ears. It lengthened, and Hinata sternly told herself she didn't deserve his forgiveness, that if he walked out that door she would have only herself to blame, and -

A gentle hand pulled her up from her kneeling position, and Hinata found herself staring into mismatched eyes swimming with barely concealed emotion. His hand came around to cup her cheek, thumb wiping away the tears it found there. He touched their foreheads together, and Hinata fisted her hands in the fabric of his poncho.

"Don't ever lower yourself before me like that again, hime," he said quietly. "I don't deserve it."

"Sasuke -"

"I'm...I'm trying to be selfless with you, hime. I want you to be happy. I don't know if I'll be capable of loving you the way you deserve, and I'm," he closed his eyes briefly and swallowed hard, the words he wanted to say seeming to lodge in his throat and choke him. She gently caressed his neck, and he sighed, leaning subtly into the touch.

"I'm scared I won't be a good enough for either of you. I'm scared I won't be able to live up to what a good husband and father should be." He whispered, the confession piercing her soul with sadness. She framed his face with her hands, ensuring his gaze and attention were focused on her.

"Neither I or the baby want a perfect man, Sasuke. We just want you." She watched his eyes widen dramatically and listened to his sharp intake of breath at her declaration. _Be brave, Hinata..._

She pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him and nestling his face in the crook of her neck. He exhaled, shuddering, and slumped against her, his arm wrapping around her and holding her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"I understand if you don't believe me, but I love you, Sasuke," she whispered and was gratified when she felt him press a kiss against her throat. She began to slowly rock them, humming a low, soothing song, much as she had when he came to her after killing Itachi, bloody and half wild with rage and grief.

"Please stay with me tonight, Sasuke," she begged quietly, continuing to rock him so that he knew her comfort was not dependant on his answer. He nodded, somehow managing to tighten his hold, before breaking away from her and pulling them both to their feet. She saw tears wetting his cheeks before he turned away from her, kicking off his shoes and making himself comfortable on her couch. She watched him a moment longer before retreating to the safety of her bedroom, her thoughts full of relief and worry over what lay ahead for them.

* * *

Hinata tossed and turned on her bed, shoving the blankets past her rounding belly and sighing in frustration. A glance at the clock told her it was long past two in the morning, and experience told her she wouldn't find sleep until she did something about her little problem.

Heat burned her cheeks at the thought of it. For two months now, ever since the start of her third month of pregnancy, she was plagued with an insatiable lust. During the day, she was able to control herself by occupying her mind with other things, but during the nights, when her mind was still and the only sounds were her heartbeat and Naruto's snoring from his place in the living room (the man refused to leave her to herself even knowing what she had done), her body was aflame with tension.

It was unbearable; memories of Sasuke, his mouth on hers, his hands leaving a trail of scorching heat where ever they touched, his tongue licking up her thighs while he watched her with hungry red eyes, his dick inside of her _throbbing,_ tormented her. She tried, countless times, to take care of herself, but it was never enough. Nothing ever felt as good as he did. That's when temptation set in and rode her as hard as Sasuke ever did because Naruto was always just a call away. He was present, gorgeously formed, loved her with an intensity that startled her, and he was willing; she could see that in the smouldering heat of his eyes when he would check on her in the middle of the night. His eyes would sweep over her prone and sweaty form, lingering on her breasts and the juncture of her thighs, voice husky with longing as he asked her if she needed him for anything.

She was not proud of how close she came to taking him up on his offer.

She couldn't stand it any longer. Raising and parting her legs, Hinata's eyes slid closed as she slowly pushed her hand under her soaked panties to tentatively touch her clit. A shaky sigh escaped trembling lips as she rubbed it in slow circles, her mind conjuring memories of the man sleeping on her couch. Her inner walls flexed as she touched herself, releasing more of her liquid and coating her massaging fingers as she increased the pressure and frequency of her rubbing. A choked moan escaped her, and she was heedless of the way the needy sound echoed down the hall. The heat between her legs was unbearable, but she was getting there, she was almost -

"What are you doing, Hinata?" She froze, her breath catching harshly in her throat. Heat scalded her cheeks as she opened her eyes and turned her head to her open bedroom door to see Sasuke leaning against it and staring intently at the hand nestled between her open and spread legs. She hurriedly yanked it out and struggled to sit up, but he was already crossing the room in long strides, catching her wet hand in his and bringing it up to study.

"I -" He sucked her index finger into his mouth, eyes burning into hers as he cleaned her fingers one by one, his tongue swirling over the pads of each delicate digit and increasing the aching in her center until she felt like she would die of frustration.

"I could hear you moaning down the hall. Did you really think I'd sleep through that, or were you attempting to torture me?" He asked, gently pushing her shoulders back until she resumed laying down then stepping back to pull his shirt over his head and step out of his boxers. She stared at him, hands clenched at her sides so she wouldn't launch herself at him.

"I - I didn't want to assume that you'd - that you'd still want to do that after what I put you throu - ahhhhh, Sasuke!" While she had been trying to explain herself, Sasuke crawled between her legs and latched on to her covered clit, sucking greedily and groaning as her taste exploded on his tongue. He didn't give her time to adjust, shoving the crotch of her panties to the side and working two fingers into her drenched slit, forcefully throwing her over the edge of the orgasm that had eluded her for so long.

Hinata panted weakly as she watched him stand up, her legs quivering from the force of her climax. His mouth was wet from her juices, and his eyes were wild and red with desire. Sasuke bent down to gather her up, careful of her expanding womb and he bent her over the side of the bed and spread her legs wide to give himself room. He hunched over her, his chest molded to her back, his mouth pressing wet kisses to the back of her neck and shoulders, his manhood a hard heat rubbing insistently against the lips of her pussy. He gripped himself and lined up with her hole, the head of him just barely pushing in. She whined.

"Don't be stupid," he growled before sliding home. They both moaned as he stretched her, their bodies straining helplessly as they became reacquainted with the pleasure they created together. Hinata faintly registered his groans as he thrust into her, her entire being utterly focused on the thick length inside her filling her, completing her, giving her exactly what she needed.

He leaned his upper body against her, forcing her to support them both with her braced arms, and snaked his arm around her to cup the swell of her belly with a gentleness that made her throat tighten with an almost painful tenderness.

"I missed you, Sasuke," she moaned helplessly, tilting her head back to rest on his shoulder and gripping the rock hard bicep in his amputated arm so tightly there would be faint red marks in the skin for two days. His hold on her increased, his thrusts growing in ferocity until he was slamming into her, the wet slapping of his balls against her clit making his teeth grit in savage satisfaction.

"I missed you, too, so fucking much," his voice was a near snarl as his climax neared, the spasming, wet walls of her pussy tunneling his vision and focusing his attention until all he could think of, all he could be, was her.

His hand left her belly to wrap around her throat, applying just enough pressure that her vision went white her and she came around him violently, practically sobbing as her muscles clamped down around him like a vice and dragged his orgasm out of him so suddenly that he froze against her, his mouth open around a silent scream, his cock pulsing and throbbing as it emptied his load deep within her. Hinata felt wetness on her shoulders and neck, and she knew the force of his climax had brought him to tears. She was near that point herself, her limbs shaking with exhaustion, but she wouldn't move from this spot even if her life depended on it.

Eventually, he pulled out of her and collapsed on the bed, pulling her with him and tucking her into his side. She bit her lip anxiously, wanting to touch him the way she used to, but even now afraid that he wouldn't let her. As if he read her thoughts, Sasuke grabbed her hand and placed it on his face, shaping it until she was cupping his face. He nudged her nose with his, and when she met his eyes, he kissed her gently. There was a tremulous, vulnerable look in his dark eyes when he finally released her lips, and Hinata vowed anew that she would not dare hurt the man in her arms again.

"I love you," she said emphatically. He stilled, and she knew he was wondering if he imagined the words.

"I love you, Sasuke. I love you," she repeated, her voice getting firmer with each reiteration of a fact she had long sought to distance herself from. No longer.

A small but joyous smile briefly quirked his lips, and Hinata's soul bloomed as if feeling the first rays of a new morning sun.

"I know," he said and settled them both down to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for the long wait! This chapter was so difficult for me to write, y'all have no odea, I think I rewrote it like 4 different times, ugh!

Safe Travels

It was only after Hinata had slumped, sated and tired, onto his sweaty chest that Sasuke noticed Naruto watching them from just outside Hinata's bedroom door. Sasuke didn't react to the blond's presence, having expected something very similar to this to happen sooner than the two days it had been since Naruto's shadow clone had so abruptly brought him home. Instead, he locked eyes with his closest friend, calmly taking in the other man's strange expression while he stroked Hinata's back, breaking the stare to arch his neck so that his lover could better kiss and nibble his throat. She sighed and wiggled her hips, a sign that she was ready for him to continue.

He rolled them over, now fully ignoring his friend as he began pumping into Hinata, her soft moans urging him to go faster, harder. He obliged her as best he could while being considerate of her stomach and doing his best to make sure she did not notice her first love avidly watching them from just inside the darkened hallway.

She was beautiful like this, Sasuke thought, not for the first time. It irritated him that Naruto was seeing her in this state, but he pushed it to the back of his mind; he was very close, and he wanted to feel her come around him one more time before he lost it. That goal in mind, he flattened his hips against hers, his muscled lower abdomen rubbing firmly against her sensitive clit with his every movement. She didn't last long, coming with a satisfied sigh and smiling when he did the same moments later. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched her eyes grow heavy and felt the hands stroking his back grow still. She was asleep. He kissed her mouth tenderly before lifting himself off of her, tucking her blanket around her so that she wouldn't get cold.

He sat on the edge of the futon for a time, gathering the emotional energy he would need for this latest confrontation with his friend, acutely aware of how very tired he was of fighting. And yet, he would fight all his life and probably die that way too. He accepted this fact and did not stop to ponder it much though it pained him greatly. This time with Hinata, and the coming times with their child, would be his shelter against the bleakness of his life. Sighing heavily, he rose, dragging his pants on as he did, and faced Naruto.

They stared at each other hard for long moments, Naruto's anger, jealousy, and betrayal washing over Sasuke like a tidal wave. He stood firm against it, as he did all things that tried to cut him down, and endured. Naruto cut his eyes away with a sigh and made his way down the hall, Sasuke not far behind him.

The Uchiha rested a hip against the arm of the couch and watched Naruto pace around the small space, agitation written into his very being. He waited.

"I only came to get my stuff, ya know. But then...I heard her, and when I saw her on top of you, I -" Naruto broke off, a blush staining his cheeks dark red. Sasuke was silent, waiting.

"It's just not fair, ya know? She's the only person who never put me down or treated me like dirt. She's always believed in me, and when I finally have everything that I ever wanted, _you_ take it from me," Naruto said, finally turning to face Sasuke, the pain in his eyes doing little to ease the guilt clawing at Sasuke's throat. Naruto swallowed hard and clenched his fists against what he was feeling, willing his hands not to shake.

"I just - I don't...you could have had any girl you wanted in the village, you still can, so why did you have to have the only one who ever saw me?" Naruto finished, his voice a pained whisper by the time he was done speaking. The room, usually airy and spacious, was stifling, and Sasuke took in a deep breath to stave off the urge he felt to bolt. He hated feeling like this; like he was wrong for loving her, like he had stolen something, like he was unworthy, as if that feeling hadn't dogged his every step as a child. To deal with it now, with this man who was as a brother to him, left a sour taste in his mouth.

"You didn't spare her a glance for a long time, Naruto, or else you would have known she was with me," Sasuke heard himself saying. Naruto's head snapped up, surprise written on his every feature. For some reason, this angered him, the emotion coming fast and hot and loosening the iron grip he kept on his mouth. He continued.

"If you paid her the slightest bit of attention, you would have sensed my chakra lingering in hers after she returned from a long mission or noted my scent on her clothes and skin after she'd been in the forest for several hours. You would have noticed that she no longer stuttered as much and that she could use fire and lightning style attacks, some of which only an Uchiha could have taught her, and how many of _those_ were wandering around?" Sasuke was aware that his voice was getting louder and louder with each word that passed through his lips, but he couldn't stop. The years that he had spent in Hinata's arms and between her thighs had engrained a certain possessiveness in him, and though he would always feel like he owed Naruto his very soul, he could not bring himself to relinquish her without first proving a point. And so he continued.

"Her teammates noticed. Did you know that Team 8 had nearly captured me on at least six different occasions, all because I was distracted by her? The Inuzuka and the Aburame are intimately acquainted with the smell of me on her and in her. They know exactly what I smell like with her on my skin," Sasuke shakes his head, not missing the flash of surprise on Naruto's face at this information.

"You aren't the only one who knows what it means to be loyal to your teammate, loser. Maybe they didn't know at first, but it's been years now that Hinata and I have been lovers, and you're just now finding out. You say you didn't know what love was, but that's a lie. You've seen it, and you knew how she felt about you, I know you did. You just wanted to keep her as backup in case I came back and married Sakura," the guilty flash in Naruto's eyes at his words did little to soothe his anger, but Sasuke took a deep breath, determined to get everything he'd been thinking for years off his chest.

"I don't deserve her, but," the sudden softness of his voice caused Naruto to look up at his dearest friend, surprised when he saw that Sasuke had abandoned his perch on the couch to stand less than a foot away.

"You don't deserve her either," Sasuke finished, and Naruto could see the truth of that reflected in both their eyes. Naruto let his eyes travel doen until their were glaring at what remained of Sasuke's right arm, a growing knot in his throat making it hard to speak or swallow. This was the most that his friend had ever spoken in one sitting, save the first fight at the Valley of the End, and the emotion, the depth of the feelings behind Sasuke's every word, stunned him, almost more than the words themselves.

When he had gone into sage mode and seen for himself the chakras of his two most precious people mingling and creating a new life within Hinata's womb, he had been floored beyond all imagining. She was two months along at that point, having delayed telling him about her pregnancy for several weeks, no doubt utterly fretful of his reaction, and the being inside her was impossibly small to his untrained eyes. There had been no time to marvel at that; his disbelief at what his senses were showing him too great to allow room for any other emotion. That lasted only until he woke her to get the truth, and when she co firmed his suspicions with a small nod of her head, he'd had to leave the village and level a small portion of the surrounding forest, so great was his anger.

He stayed out there for two weeks, and when he returned, he was not surprised to learn via village gossip that Hinata had holed up in Neji's small apartment just outside the Hyuuga compound. A pang of guilt had assaulted him at this point because he knew he had not been quiet while laying waste to the trees, and plenty of gossiping ninja must have heard his angry tirades against her and Sasuke and their combined betrayal of his trust. Her father had little choice but to disown her, and the entire Hyuuga clan had been giving him the cold shoulder ever since.

At a loss for what to do since Neji, Kiba, and Shino took turns denying him access to her, Naruto returned to her apartment and waited. He did his best to keep the space clean, sweeping and mopping everyday with a furious devotion that worried his agemates when they dropped by to draw him out. He refused. Many times, his thoughts would turn to Sasuke, pondering the hows and the whys, thinking that he'd like to rip his other arm off and beat him with it, and maybe then his eyes would stop burning and his stomach would settle. Maybe if he beat him to death with it, his hands would stop shaking and the aching, yearning void in his chest would close. Maybe.

But most times his thoughts were on Hinata. He knew her, knew her well enough to know she wouldn't sleep with a man she didn't love wholeheartedly. That knowledge tormented him. She was so beautiful, and even still he wanted her so badly his knees would tremble at the mere thought of having her, but she had given herself to another. To _Sasuke_ , his eternal rival, his best friend, his brother. How could he be with her without perpetually wondering if she was comparing him to the Uchiha? Their every interaction, every touch, every kiss, would be stained by the ex avenger's shadow. He didn't know if he could stand it, not with her.

And yet, he stayed.

She returned to her apartment in her third month of pregnancy, slipping in the door with a bag of groceries in hand as if she'd only stepped out an hour ago. He was in the middle of dusting the shelves, a dirty bandana covering his sunny hair, and a dirt smudge on his left cheek. She fidgeted when his gaze fell on her, shyly poking her fingers together and whispering that she had the ingredients for ramen if he wanted to eat. Tears welling in his eyes, he had practically run to her, scooping her up in a tight hug and laughing as he informed her that he was starved.

They never talked about the baby or its father, and the only times he left her side was when Neji would show up to escort her to her baby appointments (having been coldly brushed off by the prodigy when he tried to go with her after they made up. Despite what people thought, he did know how to pick his battles) and at night when she settled down to sleep. The nights were nothing short of torture; listening to her toss and turn, Kurama's mocking laugh echoing in his ears as the fox heightened his sense of smell so that he could taste her arousal heavy in the air, the way all the blood in his body seemed to flow directly into his cock while he listened to her desperate moans as she tried to relieve herself, and finally the breaktaking jealousy that consumed him when he heard her broken moan Sasuke's name when her orgasm overwhelmed her. Many were the nights that found him outside her open bedroom, his grip on the doorway so tight he could faintly hear the wood splintering, his eyes hungry, so hungry, as they took in her nearly nude figure, committing every inch of her to memory, willing her to let him scratch her incessant itch for her.

In the fourth month, she quietly asked him to find Sasuke for her. It was not in him to refuse her anything, and so shadow clones, and birds holding scrolls with shadow clones in them, set out, scouring the lands in search of the last Uchiha. And Naruto found him because it was also not in him to fail at such a task, and the tiny part of him that never quite believed that Sasuke was capable of sexual attraction began to swell up, increasingly sure of its coming vindication.

But that was crushed just as soon as he saw the way Sasuke looked at Hinata. Such a small, insignificant once over. Anyone else would have dismissed it, but Naruto had long ago become adept at deciphering Sasuke's every movement, and so he clearly saw the longing, the jealousy, the tenderness held within that quick glance, and he knew without a doubt that Sasuke loved her fiercely. Glancing down at her, he'd seen the same emotions reflected in her eyes. This was a battle that he would not win, Naruto realized, closing his eyes against the pain that engulfed his heart. He took to the forest once more to calm himself and gain perspective, and when he thought he was once again in control, he returned to Hinata's apartment to gather his few belongings and lick his wounds in the shitty hole he'd called home for so much of his life.

He'd expected the apartment to be silent save for their breathing, but he was wrong. Nimbly slipping through the kitchen window, his ears had pricked at a breathy moan filtering down the hallway. Heart in his throat, he followed the sound silently and was greeted by the glorious vision of a completely nude Hinata riding his friend. He hadn't be able to take his eyes off of them, her especially. She was so gorgeous, so confident in the way she rode the Uchiha and drew needy whines from deep within his throat. It amazed him how easily Sasuke capitulated to her, letting her set the pace, surrendering himself to her completely and seeming to revel in it as she worked her hips over him, head thrown back and eyes closed as she breathlessly told Sasuke how good he felt in her, how she felt so empty without him filling her. A strangled groan was his reply to her words, and Naruto couldn't fault him for that; he probably would have been sobbing if she was working him like she was Sasuke.

Naruto wasn't sure how long he watched them unnoticed, but he eventually felt eyes boring into his face. He looked up and barely stifled the gasp that threatened to leap from his throat when he met Sasuke's dark eyes. He expected anger, at the very least irritation, but Sasuke merely looked tired and horny, more concerned with letting Hinata have her way with him than he was with the blond voyueor. Still, Naruto was surprised when Sasuke flipped them over and continued as if he wasn't there, watching his every flexing muscle as he drove into Hinata with increasing intensity, her heels digging into the small of his back and urging him on. A large part of him knew he should look away, honestly he had to be giving off serious pervert vibes, but he found himself unable to even blink let alone move. He wanted to watch Hinata come again, and he wanted to watch Sasuke come, too, he would later admit to himself and only himself. So he did, and there was a beauty to the way they clung to one another and in the care Sasuke showed for his unborn child. He could hear them gently kissing for a while, and he noted that Hinata would not relinquish her hols on Sasuke until she fell asleep, only then was the dark haired man able to exit her body and quickly cover her before he sat hunched over the edge of the futon.

Naruto shook his head, bringing himself back to the present moment. Sasuke was watching him with those same tired eyes, wariness having replaced any other emotion. He swallowed thickly, unhappiness coloring his voice when he finally spoke.

"I don't want to give her up, but it's her choice. She wants you, and I'll support that, but," and here he stared Sasuke down so that his brother would know he was serious, "I'll always be there, and if you mess this up, I'm not giving you the chance to make it up to her." For a moment, the exhaustion that was ever present in Sasuke's eyes was replaced with a rage that Naruto hadn't seen since before Itachi died, but it was quickly snuffed out and replaced by acceptance and determination.

"You'll die waiting then, loser," Sasuke said, a tentative smile touching his lips and a hopeful light kindling in his black eyes. Naruto, seeing the statement for the olive branch and promise that it was, accepted it with his own toothy grin and drew Sasuke in for a hug against the other man's protests. Tears burned his eyes when he felt Sasuke return the hug, and they held each other tightly for a long, long time.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: After this chapter, we'll have a short time skip!

Safe Travels

Sakura stood outside the door of the examination room, clipboard clutched between shaking hands. She dreaded this appointment for weeks, pleading unsuccessfully with Tsunade and Shizune to take this patient from her, but both refused. She needed to confront this, they both said. She needed to be an adult about this. She'd been caring for Hinata all this time, they both said, sympathetic but knowing glints in their eyes, what was so different now that she knew who the father was?

As if they didn't know. As if _everyone_ in the village didn't know.

She wasn't in the village when Naruto had his now infamous temper tantrum; she was in the Land of Rivers overseeing the particulars of a children's hospital being built. When she returned to Konoha, it seems everyone mutually decided to keep quiet about the drama, and though the hushed conversations that went silent as soon as she came into view were curious, she was much too preoccupied with her projects to be overly concerned.

Her teammates' behavior should have told her something was wrong. The way Sai looked at her with his version of sympathy, always giving her cryptic and awkward consolation only to be shooed away by an uncharacteristically shy Yamato, should have been her first clue. Kiba and Shino's sudden wariness around her should have been another. The way they and Neji stuck to Hinata's side, even pushing Naruto away, did strike her as odd, but she explained that away as being some kind of clan thing. Naruto was no different, at least around her, and Hinata had always had trouble meeting her gaze during her baby appointments, so that wasn't so surprising. As far as she was concerned, everything was just fine.

And then Naruto brought Sasuke home.

For one, glorious, foolish moment, the sight of him, that man she loved so faithfully for so long, brought forth the normal flood of happiness, anticipation, and apprehension. Finally, she thought. _He's finally come for me._

How wrong she was. How very wrong.

When those words, said so softly, so full of emotion she was sure he didn't even know he was capable of, reached her ears, she went into a state of shock. Even now, she doesn't know how she got home or what she did for the first few hours after that. All she could do was lay on her bed and listen to those words repeat endlessly in her mind.

 _"Sakura...it - it's true. I got Hinata pregnant."_ How those words tormented her!

 _I got Hinata pregnant._

For so long, for years, she consoled herself by reminding herself of his total disinterest in sex. It wasn't just her, she would think; he also ignored the advances of his redhaired teammate, Karin. His eyes never seem to catch on anyone, man or woman, and Kami knew how often she checked! She and Karin bonded over his seeming disinterest in anything other than revenge, for goodness sake! And while it was never in her mind or heart to force him to be intimate with her, the thought that he would have to be, if only to restore his clan, was always lurking in her subconscious.

So to be shown this, to find out that, yes oh yes, he was interested in sex, yes he did think of things besides revenge and make time for them, that he returned to the village again and again for the sake of the pleasure he found between Hinata's thighs, hurt her more than anything else could have.

It pissed her off, made her want to hurt him in a way she'd never felt before, when she thought of all the times she and Naruto begged him, pleaded with him with tears in their eyes and hope squeezing their hearts, to please, please come home only for their love and hope and desperation to crash against the impenetrable dispassion, the utter disregard for their lives and their love and their motivations, of his face like waves broke against a cliff. Time and again he would leave them, only the scent of ash and ozone marking his presence, reopening the wound of loss anew, and each time that scab was ripped open, she knew with a little more certainty that he would never willingly return to them. And she was right. The man Naruto brought home was wore down, tired, and defeated. There was no joy in his eyes when he gazed at them, only resignation.

Yet still she hoped. For all the good it did her.

Sakura took a deep, steadying breath, forcefully pushing those thoughts away, and opened the door. She could do this, she could -

They were holding hands. She stopped short, a smile frozen on her face, emerald eyes fixed on their joined hands. The two of them were so close to each other, leaning into one another so subtly that Sakura was sure they didn't realize they were doing it. Her stomach churned, and her blood turned to ice in her veins, slicing her as it raced, heedless of her pain, throughout her body. Somehow, more than Sasuke's admission, more than Hinata's steadily growing womb, more than Naruto's longing heartbreak, and Sai's awkward sympathy, this made everything real. Seeing them, holding hands, so close and comfortable with each other, seeing Sasuke more relaxed and at ease than she could ever remember seeing him in her company, was the final straw, the straw that broke the camel's back, and heartache bloomed like a star exploding in the emptiness of space, but instead of seeding new life, this explosion brought death, and it hurt, it hurt, it hurt, it -

"Sakura." As always, the sound of Sasuke's voice arrested her attention completely, and she was jerked from her inward thoughts. No more than a few seconds could have passed since she walked through the door, and she found herself resenting him, not for the first time, for expending so little energy in saving her. She let the smile on her face brighten just a bit more before she stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind her with a soft but firm snap, and telling herself to focus on the task at hand. No way would she allow personal feelings to get in the way of her caring for her patient.

"Good afternoon, Hinata...Sasuke," she greeted brightly, stumbling only a little bit on Sasuke's name. Hinata bit her lip, a worried and guilty look pulling her mouth down, and Sakura didn't need to be a Yamanaka to know that her Hyuuga friend felt awful about the situation. She could relate. Beside Hinata, Sakura could feel Sasuke's dark eyes burning into the aide of her face, but for once in her life, she ignored him completely, choosing instead to check Hinata's vitals and make quiet, awkward small talk with the other woman.

"Sakura," Hinata said, her voice holding a questioning, apologetic tone as Sakura helped her lie back so they could view the baby. Sakura touched Hinata's cheek gently with the backs of her fingers, and Hinata quickly reached up to thread their fingers together. Sakura's smile turned wobbly.

"Please don't apologize, Hinata. I know you well enough to know you didnt do this to hurt me. I'll," Sakura swallowed, her hand tightening around Hinata's in a desperate plea for comfort, "I'll be fine. I can't wait to be your baby's number one aunt." She said, injecting a cheerines into her voice that she didn't feel. _One day I'll be okay with this_ , Sakura promised herself firmly. Until then, she'd power through.

"So!" Sakura said, leaning back and clapping her hands together. "Are you two ready to see your baby?" Without waiting for a reply, she placed the sensors on Hinata's exposed belly and directed chakra into them. The machine attached to the sensors slowly came to life, the screen glowing as the live movements of the growing child came into focus.

Though most of her attention was taken up by analysing the data on the side of the screen, Sakura was still able to note Hinata's slight gasp and trembling smile.

"It's so much...more than I thought," Hinata murmured, reaching out to once again claim Sasuke's hand. Sakura laughed, used to that reaction in first time mothers.

"She's growing beautifully," Sakura said. Sasuke tore his gaze, which had been glued to the screen with a mixture of fascination and what Sakura might have labelled terror if it were anyone but Sasuke, from the machine, eyes wide.

"She? It's a girl?" He asked, and Sakura laughed sheepishly, amazed at how easy it was to interact with him when Hinata was around.

"Oh whoops, I should have asked if you wanted to know that beforehand, huh?" She said, embarrassed at her slip up. Hinata smiled and gently touched her wrist with her free hand.

"It's alright, Sakura," Hinata said. She looked radiant, Sakura thought, like a fresh spring dawn.

 _She'll be good for him_ , Sakura thought suddenly. _He's been in the darkness too long._ The thought that Sasuke, her beloved boy, might finally regain some of the happiness she remembered from their genin days, soothed the burning ache in her heart. She thought maybe it wouldn't be such a long time until she was genuinely happy for them. Perhaps Sasuke saw her thoughts written on her face (he was always good at doing that, whether for good or ill), perhaps the softening of her smile and the lightening of her eyes stirred him to action. Whatever the reason, Sakura gasped when she felt his hand cover hers over Hinata's pregnant belly. She looked up into his eyes, and for the first time since they were children, perhaps for the first time ever, she saw genuine affection looking back at her. Her breath caught.

"Thank you, Sakura, for taking care of my family. I'm glad we're friends," he said lowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Me, too," she said, laughing even as tears, of happiness or grief she would never be sure, filled her eyes.

* * *

Later that night, Hinata and Sasuke lay curled up on her bed, their naked bodies pressed together. Hinata was nearly asleep, coaxed there by Sasuke's fingers running through her hair and his slow, even breathing.

The baby, their daughter she reminded herself over and over, strangely giddy over the prospect of what traits her girl would inherit from her father, was shifting around in her womb, the fluttering movements beginning to have sharp angles as knees and elbows stretched and her body grew. It wouldn't be long before the pleasant sensation became uncomfortable. Not long after that, she would be here and in her arms. A happy, incredible thing to ponder.

"Marry me." The words, whispered against the crook of her neck, were so low she almost thought she imagined them, but the way Sasuke's hand stilled its movement and his body became tense told her otherwise.

"Why would you want to do that?" She couldn't help but ask. Why would he want to marry her? After she lied and betrayed him? Didn't he know he could do much better? But Sasuke took her question much differently than she intended. His hand slid from her hair down to her stomach, stroking the skin and directing his next words to the baby.

"Your mother," he said to the baby, sliding down until his face was level with Hinata's stomach. Hinata watched him with wide eyes. "Your mother has a bad habit of thinking badly of herself, even now. She thinks," and here he paused to kiss the space where he last spotted the baby's movement, "that I'm somehow above her, that she doesn't deserve me, but I think we both know," he said as he spared her a quick glance, dark eyes full of an emotion she couldn't identify but that made her heart race.

"I think we both know it's the other way around, don't we, little one? So tell her, since you two are so close, tell her to marry me so you don't have to deal with a sad, mopey father who's always trying to kill your loser uncle Naruto," he finished, smiling against her belly when a giggle escaped her. He moved back up to lay beside her, making room for her in his arms when she shifted to face him, his eyes turning serious as he did so.

"I don't have anything to offer you but a name, my body, and the promise that I will always try and make you happy. I know it's not enough -"

"It's more than enough, Sasuke," she said as she cupped his jaw in her hand. The look in his eyes as he watched her was so open and vulnerable, so full of everything she ever hoped to have, it made her heart hurt. She knew how important clan was to the man beside her, and to be invited into the clan, into the deep love and trust he reserved only for those he considered family, touched her more deeply than anything ever had. She would never be able to give him a gift of this magnitude, she thought faintly, but she would do her damnest to be worthy of it.

"It would be my greatest honor to become your wife," she said, and when he pulled her into a tight hug, she returned it just as fiercely.

 _Yes_ , she thought, holding his trembling form against her, _this is more than enough._


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So we're about done! I'm thinking one or two more chapters as an epilogue to see how our family's doing and all that. Anyway, thank you guys so much for everythinf, and I hope you enjoy, it's a cheesy chspter lol.

Safe Travels

Hinata woke from a sound sleep with a pained gasp, her body instinctively curling in on itself as pain overwhelmed her unsuspecting senses. Her hands instantly went to her taut stomach. At nine months pregnant, the skin was stretched tight, and her daughter's every movement now caused discomfort. But this pain was different than the discomfort she had become accustomed to, sharper, somehow more real than anything she previously felt, and she knew that the time had come. Her daughter was ready to be born.

"S-Sasuke!" She gasped, and he was awake instantly, vaulting over her to crouch by the bedside. He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers, taking in her pained expression.

"She's coming?" He asked and helped her sit up when she nodded.

"I'll call Neji," he said, snatching up the phone and quickly dialing her cousin's number. Hinata didn't register his quick conversation with her cousin, her mind focused on riding the wave of the contraction as it crested. She could hardly believe how painful it was and how deeply the pain radiated from within her, making her knees weak and her heart pound.

Sasuke was next to her again, pressing her face into the crook of his neck and stroking her back with his hand. She clutched at him desperately even as the pain faded, feeling his pulse as it throbbed against the thin skin of his neck and was oddly relieved to note its unusually high pace and know that he was just as nervous as she was. She moved to stand, wanting to make use of this lapse in pain to gather what they needed, and he helped her. He braced her with his arm, looping it around her waist, and helped her walk around the room, snagging the bag she'd insisted on making for the baby as well as anything she thought she might need while they were in the hospital. They were just finishing up when they heard Neji unlock the front door, and another contraction hit just as they were making their way out of the bedroom to meet him.

Neji deftly scooped her up into his arms, and the three of them raced out of the apartment towards the hospital. Hinata barely felt the cool night breeze as it rushed across her face, nor did she hear any of Neji's questions to Sasuke though she did note his strained, almost panicked expression as her husband told him that they thought this was the real deal. The next few hours of her labor were a blur for Hinata; the only things that seemed real were Sasuke's hand held tightly in her's, Neji's hand on her shoulder as she bore through the pain, and the instinctual need to push that consumed her every thought.

Uchiha Himeko was born just as the sun was cresting the horizon the day after her father's birthday. She was a healthy child and greatly took after her uncle Neji in looks though she had her father's night black eyes and hair. Hinata was instantly in love with the infant and had not once let her go from the moment she was placed in her arms. Sasuke and Neji sat in chairs on either side of her. Her cousin was lightly dozing, a rare smile still lingering on his face, for once totally unguarded. Sasuke was watching his wife and daughter from his chair, a hesitant expression flitting across his face. Hinata beckoned him closer, and he leaned forward, breath catching in his throat as he got a closer look at the infant nestled in his wife's arms.

"Don't you want to hold her?" She asked softly, stroking her fingers through the soft as silk hair that lay atop Himeko's head. Sasuke's hand gently, so, so gently, reached down to the child, fingers brushing across the girl's cheek, stilling when the baby shifted under the touch.

"I...I only have one arm. I'd drop her," he said quietly, eyes fixed on Himeko's sleeping face. She was so wrinkly, like a little old man, but somehow still undeniably beautiful, utterly precious. Hinata shifted, leaning over so that she could settle the child against what remained of his left arm, quickly shoving a pillow beneath the child so that she would be fully supported.

"H-Hey!" Sasuke said, startled and tense, but Hinata simply smiled at him, the exhaustion lining her face doing nothing to diminish her beauty.

"W-What am I supposed to do with her?" He asked. Hinata smiled again, this time at least attempting to hide just how amusing she found the situation by turning her head to the side, and settled further into the blankets, eyes growing heavy with sleep.

"You're already doing it," Hinata said sleepily, surrendering to unconsciousness with a soft sigh. Sasuke looked down at the child in his arms. She was on the edge of wakefulness, her dark eyes blinking owlishly at him. He stared back with wide eyes, heart thudding painfully against his rib cage. _This was his daughter_ , he realized with a sudden jolt. He'd always been intellectually aware of the fact, but holding her in his arms drove the point home. He had a child; he was a father; he'd helped make the little person wiggling in his hold, and she...she was going to depend on him, look up to him, watch everything he did so that she could learn how to make her way in the world. The realization had him reeling with the weight of responsibility, and he wondered if he could do it, if he could be the father his daughter deserved.

Himeko made a small, distressed sound, and Sasuke's attention was immediately focused on her. She was wiggling, shifting her arms, a frown wrinkling her tiny face, and Sasuke couldn't help the amused smirk that flitted across his mouth. She was adorable, old man face and all.

"Let me help you, little hime," he said, adjusting the baby blanket that encased her so that her arms were free of it. The frown instantly left her face, and her eyes struggled to open more as she waved her arms around, slowly opening and closing her hands. Entranced, Sasuke couldn't stop himself from touching the palm of one of her hands with his index finger, astounded by how soft her skin was, how fragile it felt in comparison to his.

"Ahhh," the noise came out of him in a rush as her hand gripped his finger and squeezed. A queer feeling filled his chest, made him feel warm and full and terrified all at once, and he knew he would die for this child, kill anyone who even thought of hurting her. He wondered faintly if this was how Itachi had felt about him, even just a little bit. If what his big brother felt for him was even a fraction of what he was feeling in that moment, he no longer wondered how he could have done any of what he did.

Gazing at the sleeping forms of his wife and cousin-in-law as the sun kissed their Hyuuga fair skin and his daughter rested securely in his arms, Sasuke felt for the first time in a long while that he finally had a home to return to.

His travels were at an end, and he had arrived home safe in the end.


End file.
